Reapers of the Grimm
by RyuuTsunei-Chibi
Summary: Full summary inside. Rated 'T' for language. Rating may change. Chapter two is up!
1. Reapers of the Grimm

The unknown has scared people for as long as time can recount. What does the future hold? Why are we here? Who created us? Where does that bump in the night come from? When will we die? How long do we have? So many unknowns in life to write a book, but the one unknown that scares people, mostly younger adolescents, the bump in the night. What is it? Is our imagination running and playing trick on us when the lights are out? The monster in the closet, is it real? If it is, what does it want? Will it leave if we ignore it? It's the ignorance of the subject that leads many to grow unsettled and learn to ignore any matter of the subject, leaving people vulnerable to the wonders of the unknown. However, there are those who wholeheartedly take the unknown and let it drive them. Drive them to gain the knowledge of that bump in the dark, what it is, what it wants, what it does. Yet when they find that answer, it turns them to wish they had never searched, when that bump in the night turns out to be greater than the fear of the once unknown. Moreover, the supernatural. Skeptics want to believe it's nothing more than hoaxes, believers want to find out more and unveil the ultimate truth, and a minuet portion of the entire population actual investigate the reality of the whole. It's those people who are your everyday neighbor. They look just like us, talk like us, walk like us, but their jobs are beyond the average believers reality.

Those individuals are refereed to as _Reapers of the Grimm_.

* * *

**Chapter One: Reapers of the Grimm**

There was a story parents would tell there kids around the night of Hallows Eve about a widowed wife who roamed the forest in search of her late husband, knowing full well that he had be taken by the cruel mistress of war, and bring him home so they may live in peace and die happy. Yet as the widow would search the forest, she would hear her husband call out to her, to follow his voice and find him. So she would. She followed his calls and bellows, anticipating the sight of the man and the desire to once more embrace him. However, the story does not have quite the happy ending. As the widow runs to her beloveds calls, she is unaware of her surroundings and plunges to her demise as she sprints off of a cliff. Her body was never found, but it is said that if you wander around the edge of the cliff she supposedly died from, you can see her form sprinting and suddenly vanish as she runs up to the edge. The problem with that story is it is all to true, safe for a few details kept from children to make it more friendly, but why would the children mind if all they want to see is the widow for their own eyes. Which is what a small circle of young children, aging from thirteen and under, wanted to witness just for themselves. Packed with nothing but the cloths on their backs and two touches, the posse of five hurriedly made their way to the sight before their parents could notice their missing selves.

Now, the journey itself would take no more than an hour, unaccounted that the correct path is safely followed. Though young in age, the group new the woods fairly well, so it was no shock they new where they needed to go to make head of time and make it to the cliff before the witching hour, a time where the spirits of the dead are very much alive and, ironically, the time that the widow supposedly died, but during such time, so are the nocturnal creatures that inhabit the woods. Yet, the children didn't care. They were in for the adrenalin, for the rush of disobeying their parents strict rules of staying inside beyond the moons rise, especially on the night of Hallows Eve, and for seeing what nobody, whom they know of, has never seen before. All they wanted was to see, just once, the sight of a real spirit and possibly see what really happened the night she died.

Nearing the sight, the oldest of the small group mushed the underlings along hoping the catch at least the last glimpse of the woman as she falls off that cliff. What a sight it would be to first hand witness a story come to life. What was going to happen? They got giddy just thinking about it.

"Murt, look!"

The youngest of the group pointed ahead and just beyond the treeline was the sight of the cliff. From behind them, they could hear heavy feet slamming the ground, like someone was running.

"Quick, hide! She's coming!"

The oldest pushed the group behind the largest bush he could see and they sat, waiting for the woman to make her way to her husbands calls. The steps grew louder and more rushed. She would appear any minute. Louder, louder, the sight of a ghostly white dress came into view, but just as soon and it appeared, it vanished as did the sound of the running.

"Murt, what happened? Where did she go?"

Murt, the oldest of the bunch, looked back at younger girl who spoke and shrugged.

"I'm not sure, Luna. Maybe that was it?"

The bunch groaned and agreed to head back home, disappointed at what the nights adventure had led to, but when they took no more than ten steps away from their hideaway, the running sounded again. Luna was the first to turn and witness what was running. Yes, it was the woman again, but she was running towards them, not the cliff.

"M-Murt!" the young girl shrieked and made no hesitation to start running away.

The oldest child slowly turned and saw a flash of white sprinting in their direction and froze in his spot.

_"WHERE IS MY HUSBAND?!"_

The widow was screaming at him, almost demanding he tell her what had happened to her beloved like Murt was the reason she could't find him. The rest of the group had already made hast and fled the scene, leaving Murt alone to fend for himself. It was at the moment he realized he was alone that Murt noticed that the widows face did not look like it had before. Her eyes had darkened to black, the white dress she wore was tattered and bloodied, her teeth were bared and showed rows of shape incisors, and the aura she gave off was nothing less than demonic. Murt was left feeling vulnerable, horrified, and most of all, scared. As the apparition came closer, all Murt could muster was pray that whatever happened was painless and that someone would find him eventually.

The widow screeched as she neared the terrified Murt and outstretched her arms and clawed nails, ready to strike him down. Eyes closed, Murt awaited his defeat and as time past, it never came. Taking the chance, he opened his eyes to a sight he never would have seen in his life. The spirit had burst into flames and dissipated before his eyes. He could hear the voices of two people chattering about something just beyond where the cliff was. Murt took a moment and decided to sneak a peak over the edge to see what was going on. What he saw was a small fire and two people, hard to tell if they were arguing or having a heavy discussion about the burning item.

"Hey!"

Murt called out to the two people and the instantly stopped and looked up to see him. He could tell it was a woman and a man now, neither looking much older than early adulthood. The woman had blond hair, held back with a red ribbon in a low ponytail. Her attire consisted of a beige, hooded cloak, an ankle length, red and black checkered skirt, black, turtle necked top and heavy boots. The male bore striking white hair and his attire was non to different in color. Aside from his black trousers and a black ribbon holding back what hair it could.

Both looked to one another and made hast to get back up the cliff, making it look like child's play as they did. Once finally up and beside the child, Murt started to question the two about what had just happened.

"W-what was that you were burning?! Did you see the lady in white? She burst into flames! What's going on? Who are you pe-"

The white haired male shot up his right hand to silence Murt as the blond took in a breath and readied for her explanation. Murt knew he was about to get scolded for being in the woods so late at night so he prepared for the worst. Instead, a soft hand landed on his shoulder and a smile crossed the womans face.

"I'm sorry you got caught up in the middle of what just happened, but you should know better than to be out this late at night. You could have been hurt-"

"Ya, ya, but he's fine. Let's get him home and head back to base. I'm sure there is another stupid assignment for us."

The white haired male turned and waved his hand, suggesting they hurry up and leave, wanting to waist no time. The blond just nodded her head and offered her hand to the young boy.

"Let's get you home, okay?"

...

Back at the village, the group of children stood staring at the woods, wondering where their friend Murt had vanished to. One moment he was there, and then-

"Hey guys!"

Luna smiled largely and ran to meet Murt half way.

"Murt! You made it out! What happened? Did the lady in white get to you?"

Murt shook his head and just smiled.

"Believe me, if I told you what happened, I don't think any of you would consider it possible... C'mon, lets go to bed. Bet our parents already noticed us missing anyway."

...

Opposite of the woods, the two strangers wandered their way back to the main road, both walking with hast to make it back to their next destination.

"Ma-AH! OW! What was that for?!" the males head had come into contact with a rather thick, leather bonded journal.

"Don't give that, you know EXACTLY what that was for. Soul, you said that there was nobody in the woods tonight and that boy could have been, if not hurt, severely traumatized by the acts of that Violent Spirit. You're the one with the ability to sense people. Why didn't you say anything?"

Soul, the man in question, rubbed his sore head where the journal had made it's very harsh contact.

"Well excuse me for missing one child on such a minuscule assignment, Maka. I can sense the souls of the corrupted much easier than the innocent."

Maka gave a sigh and just waved the conversation off. Soul was right after all. His perception of the innocent was not all that acute. It was top of his list to work on that. What mattered at the moment was getting back to base and giving a report to their "head cheese" as Soul has wholeheartedly nicknamed the head of the Reapers of the Grimm. Which brought up another topic...

"Hey Maka, why are we called the Reapers of the Grimm? Why not just shorten in and call ourselves _Grimm Reapers. _It makes more since and isn't a mouthful, plus it sounds much cooler."

Maka shrugged. "I don't know, because Lord 'Death' thinks it sounds informal, I guess. Ask him about it when we get home." Maka answered, taking a quick glance at the map that was provided by Lord 'Death' for their travels. It would take a good three days to actually make it back to base if the weather stayed fair. Lodging was no problem since they already had plans set in the nearest village, but it still a good days walk from where they left. With it being just past the witching hour, it was time for some much needed rest. Maka wanted to stop and set up camp for the night, but Soul had other plans.

"Just less than a mile ahead is an inn. Let's see if we can't stay there before we decide to sleep in the dirt tonight."

Seeing no other option, Maka agreed and made haste to the known housing, which surprisingly, was exactly where Soul said it would be. What had Maka was that she didn't remember this housing being around when they traversed this road not two days ago. Maybe she just looked over it? Who cares, a soft bed sounded wonderful. They made it inside and groggily stumbled over to the inn keepers desk, ringing the bell to announce their arrival. An elderly man made his way carefully to the desk and smiled gleefully at the two young people in his presence.

"Why, fair greetings young Mad'am and Sir. How may we assist you tonight?" the elderly man exaggerated his hand movements as he spoke to the two Reapers.

Maka genuinely smiled at the man and started to answer. "Two roo-"

"One room is all we need." Soul turned to Maka and gave a sly smirk. "C'mon, you know we don't have enough coin to take on two beds."

'_What is he getting at? We have plenty to last us for another week in this place.'_ Maka thought, eyeing Soul with narrowed slits."You have a point I guess."

The elderly man obliged the two as they paid for the single and were handed an oddly shaped copper key. "Third room on the right. You two sleep well." and the man was gone. Nothing looked, felt, or gave the impression that anything was out of the ordinary. All except for Soul. Taking a quick gander over her shoulder, she draged her partner to the room door and glared at him, demanding for an answer to his actions.

"Tell me , Maka, did you see this Inn whenever we past down this road to banish the soul of the white woman?"

"No... Wait are you saying that-" Souls hand shot up and hush Maka before she could get anymore out.

"Not out hear. C'mon, lets get some shut eye so we can head out tomorrow..." With that, Soul opened to room and pushed Maka inside, locking it behind them in haste.

...

Grey eyes peered into a small glass, carefully watching as the water rippled with every movement of the glass. Though not drinking the water, it was more of an entertainment as he waited for his targets to settle. It was time to feed and there was two perfect morsels snuggled up under his trap. The elderly mans mouth gaped open at the thought of sinking his teeth into living flesh one more. Hunger was growing quickly and his patience was diminishing. The man allowed hushed hums escape his throat and looked out of the window. Dawn would be breaking soon and the two targets should be long asleep by then. What a perfect way to have breakfast.

_"From their young bodies, fresh life and new value..." _

The words growled out of his mouth as his hunger soon became the best of him and decided to head to his meal sooner than anticipated. The room he gave them had a one way lock, only able to open from the outside if locked from the inside. He had a spare key as well, making an entrance into their sleeping quarters much easier. Turning the key and slowly opening the creaky door, the elderly man cunningly made his way to the bedside and saw the blond hair of the young girl just peeking from under the sheet. Taking no more time, the man grabbed a handful of her hair and pulled her from the bed, ready to just start eating...

Only when he pulled out who he thought was the girl, turned out to be a crudely made doll with yellow yarn hair. Looking up he noticed that the white haired male was gone as well. What the hell was going on? Nobody ever left this room!

_"Where the hell did you go?!"_ The man bellowed, his hunger being fueled by his anger now.

"Psst, over here."

The man turned at a soft whisper and was met with a blunt force strike to his head, staggering him momentarily, but long enough for the sharp edge of a hatchet to meet his neck, decapitating his head cleanly. The body fell limp and the head rolled under the bed. With a soft sigh and an irritated grunt, Maka and Soul grabed the body and dragged it outside behind the inn along with the head, and set them both ablaze.

"... Can we go to bed now?" Maka asked, finally releasing a long awaited yawn.

Soul softly chuckled and nodded. "Ya... Man I hate ghouls."

* * *

Hey, hello, how's it going?! Thank you guys so much for taking time out of your oh so busy days to read this first chapter of my new Fic! Honestly, I blame my brother for this. He got me hooked on Supernatural recently and I've had Soul Eater on the brain so I just put them both in my blender of a brain and came up with this classy bit! I really hope you enjoyed this and expect to see much more! I make no promise on my update schedule. I work full time and about to start College so if I do make updates, they may come staggered from within days of each other too weeks.

I greatly appreciate Reviews and love corrective criticisms! No flames please! Feel free to follow to keep up with this story and i hope to see you until the very end!


	2. Family Matters

**Chapter Two: Family Matters**

Defeating the ghoul destroyed the inn, leaving an empty lot of years old, burnt remains of what should have been a quite relaxing inn back in it's prime. Needless to say the night was a light sleep on a hard ground. Not that Maka had much to complain about. Sleep was sleep at this point, and it's embrace was more than welcome. However, for Soul, it meant a sore back and pounding headache. He was not built to sleep on the ground, and after so many years of actually doing it, a tole had been taken on his body. Heavy stretching realigned his back with loud cracks that always made Maka cringe. How he found that to be a relief was beyond her. With blankets packed and the sun high above their (for the most part) rested heads, the duo proceeded their way to their first planned stop on the road back to Base; Tan's Pass. There was a small village there that was expecting their arrival later in the day with a small task to be dealt with. The problem was the task had to deal with another spirit. Not like the white woman from the previous night. There had not been much in detail of what to expect, but apparently the spirit is causing enough trouble that it's becoming a problem. Villagers had started to go missing. It was up to Soul and Maka to lay the spirit to rest and leave the village in peace once more.

"How much farther until the Pass?"

Maka looked at her map and took a wild guess at their arrival time. They had been walking non-stop for well over sixteen hours and the sun was visibly getting lower every minute. By correct calculation, they should have been there three hours ago.

"I'm not sure. We may have missed a turn some ways back. I think we're nearing Fres, though. So let's just get there and stay the night. Make a fresh start in the morning."

Soul audibly sighed and dragged his feet, not really caring about Fres. It held one inn and not a very comfortable one at that, but a bed was a bed and that was all Soul wanted. Nearing the village, though, it was blatantly obvious that a celebration was being held. Sounds of clapping and jolly music sang out to the duo, exciting Maka. Taking no wasted time, Maka hit the ground running, leaving Soul to trudged after her. Not until he actually entered the village did Soul realize that the celebration was a music festival. Bards and menstruates from many corners of the map had gathered in the normally quiet village of Fres and shared their passion for music. Assortments of heavenly cords from a lyre to the triumphant finale of the drums blended into Souls mind, and only one word could describe what this situation was...

Perfect.

Just as Maka had done moments ago, Soul found himself drawn into the music and laughter, feeling an instant release from any stress he had. A wonderful feeling it was, but just as quickly the feeling appeared, it left Soul setting him back into his normal, "cool" state of manner. The music died down and the jaunty village folk slowly dulled to a whisper and gathered like a heard of cattle at a small podium by the local inn, hopefully for something intriguing and exciting to end their day. Whispers died down to null as a hooded man took heed and raised a violin, resting it faultless against himself. Baton drawn and eager to please, the hooded man performed ,what sounded like a Concerto, pristine and idyllic. It was beautiful, precise, almost to perfect for him to be doing it just for the people. Whoever that hooded man was hid something from the crowed.

His identity.

Who was this man? Maka ran up to Soul and jostled him back to reality.

"This man is amazing! It's a wonder he isn't playing for the Regalis."

Soul nodded and stared intuitively at the man, expecting to catch a glimpse from under his hood and see just a hint of who this man was. With the piece coming to it's conclusion, the man lifted his head, just enough for his locks to shimmy out from under the hood. It was hard to tell, but from the distance Soul was at, the man's hair almost looked as white as his own. It could have been a very pale color of blond, but there would have been a more distinct hint of yellow. Another swift movement and the hooded robe the man wore reveled just the lower half of his face, showcasing a distinct scar along his jawline. Eye's wide and face flushed, Soul was no longer paying attention to the music of the crowed of cheering villagers. Maka noticed the change in Soul's body language and grew worried. She tapped his should to get his attention, only for him to turn rushed and glare at Maka with rage filled eyes.

"We're leaving. Now." Soul demanded, venom in his words.

Maka nervously agreed and followed behind her enraged partner. "Soul, what's gotten into you?" No answer. "Soul?" Still nothing. Agitated at his actions, Maka reached into her bag, ready to smack him upside the head to knock some sense back into that thick head of his, only for Soul to suddenly stop and turn to face his partner. His eyes had changed, giving a more calm demeanor with a hint of displeasure still lingering.

"You know I would tell you anything right? I know you can trust me. So trust me when I say if we don't get out of Fres now, I will not be reliable for anything bad that happens." Soul's voice was stern, but pleading for Maka to trust him.

"Why?"

The hair on Soul's neck stood right on end, fists clenched, teeth bared, brows furrowed, and his normally bright red eyes grew darker, crimson even. Maka looked behind Soul to see the hooded man calmly walking up and engaging in the conversation. Although Maka was excited that a very talented man was in her presence, the way Soul held himself told her to be wary of the man, no matter how swooning his musical skills were. Maka was ready to attack the man with questions, but he seemed to get straight to the point before she could think of the first question.

"It's been a while, Soul. I would say twelve years next month. Not sense-"

Soul cut him off with a low rumble escaping his clenched teeth. Maka stood dumbfounded as her partner turned to face the man, ready to strike at any given moment.

"What the hell do you want Wes? Twelve years is a long fucking time to hide. Maybe you should have made it twenety and save yourself the embarrassment of being dismembered by your little brother."

A simple grunt escaped the man known as Wes's lips and he walked up closer behind his little brother. Soul turned to strike the man, only to miss a swing at the nothing. Quickly turning back, Soul see's that Wes had made his sly way over behind Maka, playing with the red ribbon in her hair, sending shivers down said woman's spine.

"You know, that's not a very nice thing to say to your eldest of kin." Wes smiled and turned Maka to face him. "Such a pretty girl, you are. How did my hot-headed brother get you?" Maka could see Wes's face clearly now and the resemblance between the two men was almost identical. Although, Wes had almond colored irises and a scare following the left side of his jawline. His face was also more defined and mature. There was no denying these to males were related. Wes softly touched Maka's cheek and continued to smile. "Your eyes... Yes I see why he likes you around."

Soul let his rage fill his emotions and let go of reality as he charged wildly at his brother. Wes vanished mysteriously, leaving Maka to stumble as Soul brushed against her in attempt to strike his brother.

"For someone who is trained at killing the unknown, you have horrible control of yourself."

"What the _fuck_ do you want, Wes?!" Soul demanded, standing in front of Maka to create a human barrier.

Wes let his hood down and stared heavily at Soul, glancing softly at Maka just for a few seconds before answering the enraged male. "You two are heading back to base, yes? Steer clear of the Black Witch that inhabits Tan's Pass. She's been very active the past few days and it's not looking pretty right now. Looking for a new host for her soul and it would be a shame if something were to happen to Miss Maka on your journey home."

"W-wait how d'you know my name?"

Wes smiled and let himself vanish with some passing leaves. "I know everything, Miss Albarn."

...

The moon had risen way over their heads by the time Soul finally agreed to stay in Fres for the night. All the bards and menstruates had long since left or hunkered down for the night. Maka and Soul, however, sat in their quarters baffled and disarmed at the events of the night. Tan's Pass was going to be a hassle now and dealing with Witches was not a task to he dealt with lightly. Although, it did answer the question of the 'spirit causing problems' and missing peoples reports. It wasn't a spirit at all now. Was their mission report wrong?

"Maka..." Soul looked at his partner, well aware her mind was wandering like it always did. "I'm sorry about earlier."

Maka smiled at her partner genuinely. "Why apologize? All you did was bicker and he gave us a warning. What I don't understand is how he know's who I am." Her face crippled into a confused on-look. "Who is Wes?"

It was a dreaded question that Soul would much rather answer at a later date, when he's had time to think over how he should explain everything. "I'll tell you when I've cooled off more. Just mentioning his name makes my blood boil." Souls face contorted and creased his forehead. "Besides, we have other things to worry about. That witch at Tan's Pass could be an issue."

"Ya, but at least it explains the gaps in the report they gave us. I honestly think our best bet for now is find a detour home." Maka took out her map and looked carefully at every possible route home.

"What about the deadline?" Soul crossed his arms and leaned against the headboard. "Tan's pass if the quickest route home."

There was a quick gap of silence only to be broken by muffled chuckles from Maka

"What's so funny?" Soul asked, rather annoyed.

"You meeting a deadline, that's what!" Maka continued to chuckle all the while examining the map. "But you are right. Tan's Pass is not only the quickest route, but our only one at this time." She received a rather confused look. "We can't go through Needles. They have a visitor shutdown; nobody in or out. The Caves aren't even a good idea to think about. The Gallows-"

"Ok I get your point. Looks like we get to meet this Black Witch..."

...

The duo headed out with the sun earlier the next morning. If they wanted to get back on track, they needed to reach Tan's Pass no later than sundown, yet that looked to be a bit of trouble. The clouds in the sky grew darker by the moment. Rain was inevitable, and if there was one thing Soul hated the most, it was being stuck out in a rain storm. A local farmer in Fres tried to get them to stay, saying it was going to be quite the tempest, but the two still left fully packed and in a rush. Luckily, Soul and Maka were able to travel the same path, but covered by the canopy the trees provided, only getting damp from the drizzle that did make it down. Maka took the map out to see what kind of time they would be making, but it seemed luck was only so fragile as a rogue gust tore the map from her hands, leaving only a tiny piece of parchment that ripped off in her hand.

_"Soul this storm is starting to pick up. We need to hurry before we lose anything else!"_

_"Lose anything else? What did you lose?!"_

_"The map was ripped from my hands by the wind!"_

_"Ya, ya blame mother nature-"_

Wicked eyes watched carefully at the duo. Two unsuspecting targets and one might be just what was needed for the task at hand. A sound soul, a sound mind, and though lacking a few assets, a sound body. That girl was perfect and ripe for the taking. The problem would be the man traveling with her. He would be a nuisance. No problem however, all the more fun when extracting the fruit from the tree.

"What a shame, boy. I'm sure you would have been a very handsome young man." The Black Witch smiled a Cheshire smile and exposed her teeth at her crystal ball. "Soon... Oh! There's my Angela!" A black feline purred for her owner when gently hoisted on her masters lap. A witches best friend indeed. "Will you do me favor, little girl? See those two people?" The cat gave a soft purr and looked at the crystal ball. "Can you lure them to me, baby? I'll have a big fish dinner for you when you get back!"

A stretch and meow later, the feline Angela pranced out the door and left her master in peace, proudly obeying her owner.

"That's my girl..."

* * *

Hi, hello, howdy folks! Glad you could make it to Chapter Two with me! If you will notice, I had underlined the word PASSION in the beginning. I can't stress how long it took me to remember the damn word! I STARED AT THE SCREEN LIKE AN IDIOT FOR THIRTY MINUTES! That simple word just left my mind completely and it drove me wacko-doodle! I refused to use a synonym (mainly because I couldn't even muster one up) and changing the sentence was out of the question. Ya, I'm stubborn like that. Anyway, that was my stupid for the night.

Parings, I'm not planning any (as of yet). There will be a bit of a flashback chapter to help explain Maka's and Soul's partnership, but that won't be for a while. Trust me when I say, I am going to have SO much fun when this story progresses further and get's more intense. I'm giddy just thinking about it, but I must be patient and be a good author and make my way there, as well as you be a good reader and be patient with me! Stay tuned as our dynamic duo finally make it home! No plot twist yet. Maybe some plot holes to fill in for later. Have to plant a see before it can grow! Wes will be making another appearance soon and we get to find out what happened between the two brothers for Soul to hate him so much! Guess all you want, it will shock you what I've got in store.

Hope you all are enjoying this fic! It's a blast to write (and just as much of a pain since I can only write at night) but well worth the time. Feel free to review, follow, and favorite to keep up with any updates. Again, all reviews are welcome and highly appreciated, flames however make me a very sad lady.


	3. Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Blair?

**Chapter Three: Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Blair?**

"I'm blaming you on this one." Maka stared at Soul with narrowed, irritated eyes.

"Shut up and hold still, would ya?" He retorted, taking out his knife and started cutting the rope.

In the midst of their travel, Soul had the bright idea of cutting their time by just cutting straight through the woods they had been using to shelter them from the raging storm, which had finally dulled to a light drizzle, and make it to Tan's Pass within the next hour. Unfortunately, Maka had the enthralling experience of finding a rabbit trap and ended up becoming a human pinata and butt of Souls jokes for ten minutes. Face red from blood rushing to her head and irritated from holding her skirt from flashing, Maka looked flustered. The rope finally snapped and sent the embarrassed blond face first into the ground below. The moment Maka regained her composure, she took out her leather journal and swung to hit Soul, who was able to dodge it... The first time. Maka was able to get a hit in seconds later, satisfying herself and leaving a pretty book indent on Souls noggin.

"Alright, let's take a thirty minute break. I need this head rush to end..." Maka said, plopping herself down against the tree Soul just cut her out of and opening up the journal. Soul just groaned from his 'traumatic attack' and rolled over on his side to take a nap, hopefully to ease his now throbbing headache.

The journal held everything Maka knew of the ghosts and ghouls she and Soul had faced, even creature Maka was sure that didn't even exist anymore. Sketches, detailed information, weaknesses, anything and everything about a creature of Grimm was in that book. Yet, it wasn't the book and its information that Maka kept from it. The journal had the initials 'S.A.' embossed on the lower left corner of the front cover. Tucked safely in a small pocket was a fading picture of Maka and two older people, a man and woman, behind her. Oddly though, both of their faces were faded completely and Maka had no memory.

"Get off me!"

Maka was jerked back to reality at Soul's outburst. Just a few feet away from where Soul had been laying was a black cat, looking at the duo. Sounds of a soft purr reached Maka's ears and she couldn't help but inch towards the feline, in turn, the cat met her half way. Taking the cat in arms, Maka caressed the felines jawline, rewarding her with a much louder purr.

"Awww!" Maka cooed, holding the cat out at arms distance and looking it over. "You are so cute! I bet someone is missing you right now." As if to answer, the feline meowed and cocked it's head to the side. Maka glanced over at Soul for a moment before carefully setting the cat back down on the ground. "That means we must be close. She's to docile to be a wild animal. Let's keep going!"

After a moment of self deliberation, Soul finally stood up and stretched himself, ready to continue their trek. To his dismay, the cat decided to tag along. God he hated cats... On the positive side, they didn't have to walk very far to finally reach Tan's Pass. The sight of their destination was a sweet relief, but also a bit eerie. The lack of villagers was astounding. What was left was almost an empty shell of just vacant houses and stores closed down. Things really were getting out of hand.

"Halt! State your business!"

Maka and Soul jolted to attention and turned to face an elderly woman holding a pitch fork, pointing it menacingly at the duo. Maka held up her hands at shoulder height to show she was unarmed and willing to cooperate.

"My name is Maka Albarn and this is Soul Evans. We are here about the disappearances."

Soul stood obediently and let his partner deal with the distressed villagers. He wasn't very good at being level headed with people who were on edge. Plus he was preoccupied with trying to get the 'beast' to stop rubbing up against his leg.

"Albarn..." The elderly woman lowered her weapon and softened her glare. "Yes, I remember speaking with a passer-by just days ago saying you would arrive. Come, we can speak inside. It's safer there..."

...

Everyone sat in silence, awkwardly sipping tea. The elderly woman rocked in her chair, heavy in thoughts and aware of growing tension. Soul impatiently tapped his foot whilst Maka patted the black feline that slept soundly in her lap. Longer the silence lasted, the harder Souls foot tapped until eventually he slammed his foot down, causing the cat to prop up her head and growl at Soul, who in turn, growled back. Maka soothed the cat back down and glared back at her partner, who rolled his eyes.

"It started hundreds of years ago..." The elderly woman finally spoke, setting her empty tea cup down and looking solemnly out her window. "As the tale went, Tan's Pass was guarded by the Spirit of Blair, a woman who sacrificed herself to the Daemon of the woods and protect this place from it's haunting powers. It killed off cattle, created droughts, burned our homes, and nobody knew how to stop it. Blair was a pretty young woman, barley old enough to start her own family and daughter of the fabled Priest Marcus, decided that years of torment from the Daemon was enough. Taking nothing but her bible and a vial of Holy Water, Blair wandered into the Daemons lair and was able to cast him into the gates of the Underworld, but at the cost of her own life." She took a breath and collected her thoughts, making sure every word was precise. "Life became peaceful. The cattle was spared, plentiful rain, and our village flourished with new life, from crops to children. It was about ten years after it happened that the cycle started. Children started to go missing, girls to be precise. Then they would stop. As if whatever was taking them, finally got what it wanted. Twenty years would pass and it would happen again. The cycle has yet to fail and we are down to our last child, a little girl named Angelica." The woman held a begging gaze at Maka. "Please... She's all we have left. Whatever or whoever is taking our children has drained us. Stop this madness..."

Maka softly smiled at the woman and nodded. She couldn't deny them peace. Finding the solution would be the hard part. Knowing themselves what they are up against, Maka and Soul had never encountered a Witch before. Although, there was some information in the journal Maka carried about the creatures. A Witch was usually created from the gathering of malice souls in attempt to reenter the world they had been forced to leave. They would then find a host and use them as their toy and, to put it in Layman's terms, cause utter chaos. Tales go that Witches are skilled in magic and enchantments, whether it is true is beyond Maka. The problem at hand was to tell the elderly woman they were dealing with a Witch, but with how superstitious people were, would that be a good idea? The presence of a Witch meant that the area was tainted and may never flourish. The people of Tan's Pass would leave abruptly and Maka knew that wouldn't solve anything.

Soul stood up and casually walked to the door. Maka cocked her brow. "Where are you going?"

"Well, this problem isn't going to solve itself now is it. C'mon, let's go check out the Daemon's layer-"

"That is holy ground! One does not simply waltz in without being blessed by the priest. Go to the church and talk to Father Law."

Maka and Soul nodded in agreement. They bid their farewells and left for the church, black feline in tow. It wasn't very hard to find said building, considering it was the largest and right in the center of the Pass. Standing outside the entrance, the duo heard sounds of a choir singing praise enchanting the grounds. Maka started to push the doors to the church open when she stumbled forward as they swung open with ease. Maka was caught by a man standing opposite to them. Striking blue eyes, bright blond hair, fair skin, and a warming smile welcomed the guests. It didn't take long for Maka to regain her composure and straighten out her skirt and blouse. She had to hold her head high, shoulders back, stand tall, and have her eyes on the young man's toned chest...

Composure gone.

Maka's face grew bright red and she turned away at the indecent man. "W-w-why... Shirt! I-I'm sorry! I-I-I...!" No real sentences came out of Maka, but enough words to make sense. Soul butted in before Maka could make a bigger fool out of herself.

"Sorry for intruding, but we are looking for Father Law."

The blond male looked on in confusion as Maka continued to ramble on, but still listened to Soul. "Father Law? He is actually ill in bed today. Might I be of some assistance?"

"Ya, firstly, could ya put some cloths on? I think you caught Maka off guard with the whole shirtless thing."

The male gaped for a moment before seeing the whole picture. He nodded and walked with haste to a back room. Moments pass and he returned, this time in casual Priest attire. Maka's face had returned to it's normal color, but would not look the male in the face, perhaps of being to embarrassed. The group of three had settled in what looked like the Priest's chambers and readied themselves for their task. The male looked on at the two and smiled that warm smile.

"I'm sorry, let me introduce myself. I am Justin Law, the son of Sergio Law or as you might know of him as Father Law. Forgive me if I am mistaken, but you two must be Miss Maka and Mister Evens." Soul and Maka glanced at one another in confusion. "You two wish to visit the Daemon's layer, correct?"

"How did you know?" Maka asked, a little shocked at Justin's knowledge. Nobody but the elderly woman knew why they were there.

Justin looked at the floor, insecurity seeping into his eyes. "Honestly, I don't know how, but I just know. Father says I have a gift from God, knowing what is unknown." Soul's faced scrunched up, almost like what he was hearing was to familiar. Maka decided to pick at him about it later. "I also know that it is not a Daemon or a malevolent beast taking the children, but no one believes me, not even my own father. I'm sure you two already know what it is. A Witch." The last part was more of a whisper, not so that anyone could hear it, but like it was Taboo.

Soul took the silence as his chance to speak. "We would like to be blessed so we could enter the Holy Ground."

"Holy Ground be damned." Justin spoke harshly. "The Daemon's Layer is not Holy Ground, no matter what the village folk say. If it was, then there would be no children being taken from us. The **Holy Ground** would be flourishing with grass and wild flowers. The land around it is dead, as is the tree's and any wild life that travels near it. You do not need a blessing nor a purification to enter the grounds." Justin looked at Maka and Soul with pleading eyes. "Whether the Witch is in the Layer or not i do not know, but if you still want to go, take plenty of Holy Water, I will held you with that, and this." Justin took off his necklace which had a solid silver Cross. "It is the cross my father brought with him when he migrated from Italy. He told me it has been blessed by the Pope himself." He handed it to Maka. "Keep it on _you_ no matter what."

Maka looked over the cross necklace before looking back at Justin, noting how he elongated the 'you' when he spoke. "Me?" Justin nodded and looked back to Soul.

"You must keep a watchful eye out when you enter the Layer. The Witch hunts only girls and if a male figure is present, it threatens her. Now, it is getting late. Could I ask that you stay for the night? If the Witch is indeed in the Layer, you will need to be well rested and fed. I will see to that myself!" Justin plastered a welcoming smile on his face yet again, and Maka couldn't say no, and Soul couldn't say no to food.

"Thank you Sir Law..." Maka started before Justin cut her off.

"Call me Justin, please. I'm not one for formalities."

"Ok... Justin, thank you." Maka smiled at Justin before looking around the room. "Hey, have either of you seen the cat?"

...

Night fell and Justin was true to his word. Soul and Maka had a very filling meal and even had a _real _bath. Since they didn't have a separate change of clothes, Justin obliged himself to find some sleepwear for the two and offered to even find them some different travel cloths. Once each was situated for a good nights rest, Justin showed them off to their room and bid them 'till the morning. Maka instantly made herself comfortable on the bed closest to the door while Soul sat on the edge of the one by the window. His mind raced and clouded with the events that were sure to happen tomorrow. His number one priority being the safety of his partner. Lord 'Death' would not be happy if he lost one of his best due to a single mistake._  
_

"Soul," Maka's voice snapped him back into reality. "I have a bad feeling about tomorrow..."

Soul looked at her and then out the window to see that the sky was clear of all but a few straggling clouds, one of which almost blocking the moon. "I'm sure everything will be fine. We haven't died yet now have we?"

Maka smiled and turned on her side. "Ya, I guess you're right. I'll see you in the morning." A yawn escaped her lips before she lulled herself into sleep.

Soul finally blew out the candle on his stand and made himself comfortable under the sheets of his bed. Maka had a right to feel worried. Soul had the same feeling too, but it wasn't about tomorrow. Soul felt something bite his hand and sent a pain up his arm. Quickly sitting up, Soul saw the culprit was that damn black cat Maka found in the Forrest earlier that day. He went to grab the cat and hurl it out the window but for some odd reason, Soul started to feel numb. As quickly as he sat up, his head fell back onto the pillow and sank into a deep sleep. The moon cast it's gleam into the room and illuminated the cat, now sitting on Maka's bed staring at her.

"_Good girl, Angela."_

From out of the corner of the room came a lone figure. She stood a good six feet tall and dressed in black attire. He eye's glowed in the moons gaze and gave an eerie essence.

"_Mama Blair will have your fish ready when we get this girl back home."_

* * *

Aaaaaaaaaaaaand their you have it! Chapter three finally up (after a long wait... My bad!) But the wait is over and I really hope you enjoyed this one! Don't expect as long of a wait for the next chapter. I can't guarantee the next couple of days, but it will be up sometime next week. Stay tuned!

Feel free to review, all are welcome. I really love corrective criticism! Flamers... Not so much...


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